By Greg Bates
Correspondent
SEYMOUR – The numbers are staggering: 615 wins, 15 conference titles, 12 trips to state and three state titles.
Jon Murphy accomplished much as the Seymour boys’ basketball coach, but on July 29, the 57-year-old announced his retirement.
Murphy spent 33 seasons as head coach and finished with a career record of 615-193.
His 615 wins are the fourth-most in boys’ basketball state history.
Murphy said now seemed to be a good time to retire from coaching.
“I retired in June as a teacher at Seymour, my wife and I are in the process of moving to Allouez to be closer to her job in the Green Bay school district and our youngest kid, Riley, graduated from high school this past year,” said Murphy, a 1981 Bay Port graduate. “The situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and not being sure there’s going to be a basketball season. I wasn’t thrilled about going to school and wearing a mask every day. That made it pretty easy to step away. Plus, Riley is going to be playing at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire this year, and I want to watch him play.”
Murphy said he also wants to see his former player and close family friend Sandy Cohen, who had a standout career at UW-Green Bay, play this season in Israel.
“We have lots of things we put off because it’s your way of life for three decades,” he said. “Now it becomes the stuff we want to do.”
Troy Cornell was Murphy’s assistant for the last 31 years and was a part of 601 of those victories.
Cornell said it’s tough to watch his friend step away.
“Lots of emotions,” he said. “You’re sad to see a long journey together come to an end. He walked the sidelines for 33 years, and you think it’s going to be a permanent fixture, and then reality hits you in the face. Throughout the state, if you mention Seymour basketball, immediately, Jon Murphy comes to mind. There’s growing respect for him throughout the state.”
Murphy’s tenure started a little rough.
In his first two seasons in 1987-88 and 1988-89, Seymour went a combined 14-29.
For the next 27 years, his teams didn’t suffer a losing record.
Seymour went to state 12 times during that span, winning three state titles and finishing state runner-up five times.
“Our legacy is being able to walk through the atrium and take a look in the trophy case and see eight gold and silver basketballs in there,” Murphy said. “That’s a lasting statement about what basketball has been about for the last 30 years.”
All 615 wins are a reflection of his coaching staff, Murphy said.
“I was with Troy and Tom Wilson for 30-plus years,” said Murphy, who is a member of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. “We had a great staff, and we enjoyed the kids. We were able to get something going in a small town, and it flourished. The little kids wanted to have their chance to do what they saw their role models do. That was a powerful thing in a small community. The kids believed we’d get to the state tournament every season.”
From the 1996-97 season to 2005-06, Seymour advanced to the Division 2 state title game eight times and won three championships (1996-97, 2000-01 and 2005-06).
The program went 225-30 during that 10-year run.
Seymour advanced to the title game seven consecutive seasons, a state record.
“I don’t think that record will ever be broken,” said Murphy.
In 1993 and 1996, Seymour made it to state but lost its first game.
In 1997, the team went 27-0 and captured its first championship.
“We lost the state title game in 2002, ’03, ’04 and ’05 – two of them on buzzer-beaters,” Murphy said. “Then we came back that fifth year with Brandon Kuchta, Mike King and Danny Genke. After coming close four years in a row, that team had the fortitude to come back and win a state title in 2006.”
Bobby Kuchta, now the Seymour girls’ basketball coach, played under Murphy from 2002-04 and was state runner-up twice.
“We showed up and played and good things happened,” Kuchta said. “My younger brother played for him for three years, and they made it to state all three years. They would come in as an underdog, and then they would upset teams. They found a way to get on top and outcoach the opponent. That’s what stands out the most – the consistency.”
When Murphy announced his retirement, he said he received more than 200 emails during a 24-hour span from former players, opposing coaches and referees.
He said one message stunned him and his wife.
It was a two-page document written by Calahan Skogman, a three-year all-conference selection and 1,000-point scorer at Seymour.
“My wife and I both read it and cried,” Murphy said. “It was amazing. For him to take a couple of hours and say what he said, it was special.”
Who’s next at Seymour?
Seymour will now turn its attention to hiring a boys’ basketball coach for the first time since 1987.
The Thunder are coming off a 23-2 season, where they advanced to the sectional semifinals.
It returns one of the top seniors in the state, Mason Dorn.
Cornell said he will apply, however, his youngest son, Treyton, will graduate in 2021.
“They might not want to put the effort into hiring someone for one year,” said Cornell, who plans to retire from coaching next year. “If they don’t, I’d like the opportunity to be an assistant coach one more year and enjoy the last ride with my son.”
Kuchta, who wrapped up his fourth season as the girls’ coach, said he will also apply.
The 34-year-old has three young kids and said he plans to coach for the next 20-30 years.
“That’s a lot of pressure whoever gets the position,” he said. “It’s a great position to be in, especially with what they have coming back.”
Things will look different this season at Seymour.
“I don’t know if it will be something I miss or be a relief because I won’t be on edge,” Murphy said. “I can’t answer that question right now.”
Even though his coaching days are over at Seymour, Murphy said he might coach again.
“I’d say there’s a good shot I’ll be coaching somewhere,” he said. “I don’t know in what capacity, but coaching is who I am. As long as it’s a good fit, I’d be willing to coach.”